Kolkata: With dates for the election of the state president announced on Tuesday, Bengal BJP faces the challenging task of finding its new Bengal chief before going into the 2026 assembly polls. The results will be declared on Thursday.
After Sukanta Majumdar's term ended last Sept, the BJP brass talked to workers and district functionaries to assess the candidate most suitable for the post. Majumdar had replaced Dilip Ghosh as state president after the 2021 assembly polls. He was inducted as a Union Minister later and opted out in tune with BJP's "one man, one post" policy.
While state leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari is a prime contender, Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya and Lok Sabha MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato are also in the fray. BJP old-timers prefer candidates who have been deeply rooted in the party over a prolonged period. Party insiders also considered that multiple influential functionaries holding key posts might result in workers being divided into factions.
While Adhikari has a strong mass base, Bhattacharya enjoys the trust of BJP seniors at Centre. Bhattacharya's invite to BJP national president JP Nadda's residence on Monday night has already raised speculations. Mahato, a two-time MP from Purulia, has a strong base in the tribal belt and is known to be a disciplined party worker. BJP's Bengal general secretary Agnimitra Paul's name was also being considered, sources said.
On Saturday, BJP's Bengal netas met central functionaries Sunil Bansal, Amit Malviya and Mangal Pandey. It was decided that nomination forms would be submitted on Wednesday, and the final list of contenders will be out on the same day.